mitigate
Syllabification: (mit·i·gate)
Pronunciation: /ˈmitəˌgāt/
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Definition of mitigate
verb
Derivatives
Origin:
late Middle English: from Latin mitigat- 'softened, alleviated', from the verb mitigare, from mitis 'mild'
The verbs mitigate and militate have a similarity in form but are quite different in meaning. Mitigate means ‘make (something bad) less severe,’ (he wanted to mitigate misery in the world), while militate is nearly always used in constructions with against to mean ‘be a powerful factor in preventing’ (laws that militate against personal freedoms).
